The play Sense and Sensibility is conceived from a novel written by Jane Austen. The play depicts its context within an era when the 18th century of rationalism was paving way for the 19th century of romance. Its opening intentionally incorporates and appreciates strong feelings and passionate emotions as a natural cause of admiring reserve and common sense which had been illustrated in the prior dozen of years. Although the play was world premiered last year at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, it economizes its plot with a thrift that seemed unnecessarily severe. However, its antagonistic pruning kept it theatrically buoyant and flexible.
In the play, we come across two characters, Marianne and Elinor. These are two sisters who have to handle losing their family’s estate and the death of their father as they look for their mister right. Previous attachments and lack of wealth act as obstacles and make it difficult for these two young ladies to get married. Elinor depicts a character that is reserved, discrete and rational while on the other hand her sister is led by fancy and emotions. Other actors include the two girls’ widowed mother, Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She had a step-son John who is money driven and easily influenced by his manipulative and pretty wife, Fanny. The play shows aspects of infidelity whereby Elinor develops strong affection for Edward, who is secretly compelled to end up spending the rest of his life with Steele.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Sense and Sensibility Essay".
The theme behind the play has been one to be debated on as many people have different points of views. However, according to most, it is perceived to be a play on morality. Elinor, who is the most rational actor in the play, represents how life happy life can be if it is ruled by sense and reasoning. The sentimental lifestyle of Marianne is flawed, and she learns from her mistakes through suffering an attribute of her sensibility. Bottom line both women had a happy ending and discovered the evil of being too carried away by passion or too sensitive.
When the play Sense and Sensibility was shown at the Old Global Theater in San Diego, CA it was much more entertaining due to the proscenium stage used. This stage gave everyone in the audience excellent view as the performers only had to focus on one direction contrary to other stages where they would have been forced to keep continually moving to give the audience a good view from all angles. The acting podium also made it easy to obscure and hide performers not acting at the moment from audiences’ sight. The stage lacking intrusion added a sense of reality to the actors, as they were allowed to develop before the audiences’ eyes.
Since the play revolves around class distinctions, they type of clothing had a significant role in physically demonstrating this. More specifically the clothing worn by the female actresses like Marianne was more seductive and elegant as it suited her personality. The clothing entailed breeches, bonnets and fichus which are garment out of fashion. Most people might not have been familiar with the clothing in the play although it is from a fairly typical historical era.
Despite marriage being the aim of every female in the play, hostility arises from the enmity between the different women. This whole female orientation reduces the sexual tension that was expected to be in the play. In spite some events in the play not being startling, ordinary happenings were made amusing and dramatic. The play had an ironic point of view, which gave actors freedom within it which added to the sense of humor to some actors. Apart from constant satire, the presence of psychological immediacy increased the play’s realism.
